UK awards £7.5m for greener cars

The UK Government has awarded a £7.5 million grant to bring more green cars to the roads in England.

Four local authorities in the West of England will share the funding for ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs), including electric and plug-in hybrids.

They will convert up to 25% of their light vehicles to ULEVs, which is expected to result in “massive savings” on fuel bills as well as a reduction in emissions.

They aim to increase the number of ULEVs in the region to 5,000 per year and double the amount of charging points to 400 by 2020.

Andrew Jones, Under Secretary of State for Transport said: “We are determined to maintain international leadership on the uptake of ultra-low emission vehicles. I look forward to seeing the winning ideas for greener, cheaper cars in action.

“This funding for eco cities is part of our £500 million funding programme over the next five years to support British industry and achieve our ambition of almost every car, bus and van in the UK being ultra-low emission by 2050.”

The local authorities will also look into the creation of a low-emission area in Bristol, which was named the European Green Capital in 2015.